Bins across Wokingham will be emptied less often, grass left to grow longer, and roads swept less frequently as the council seeks £700,000 in savings.

Wokingham Borough Council says budget pressures arising from high inflation, increased demand and low government funding have led it to cut costs.

The council has said residents should take rubbish home with them if they find litter bins too full – as it plans to empty “less-used” bins once instead of twice a week.

Areas around bottle banks will also be cleaned once weekly instead of twice, as part of plans to save £600,000 over three years.

But the council says bins and streets in “busier areas” will continue with “more intensive cleaning.”

The council also plans to reduce the number of times grass verges will be cut from six to four times a year, saving £100,000 a year.

Grass cutting at play parks and other “amenity areas” – such as parks and playing fields – will still be cut six times a year, the council says. And it adds that grass verges around roads that “impact safety sightlines will continue to be a focus and cut on the current schedule.”

READ MORE: Council wants to ‘save money’ on grass cutting in Wokingham

Councillor Shenton blamed reduced government funding for the cuts. He said the government “penalises” Wokingham for being a well-off area by allocating it a low central government grant, and that this was compounded by caps on council tax rises.

He said if the council didn’t cut costs it could go bankrupt, which would have “huge consequences, including major service cuts and increases to council tax.”

He added: “Slough had to increase their council tax by about 10 per cent this year because it hadn’t managed its budget properly. We are committed to not allowing that to happen here.”

But opposition councillors challenged this. Labour group deputy leader Andy Croy accepted that savings should be made. But he said: “The Council has been terrible at communicating information about the massive delays in the current grass-cutting regime.

“Many residents will feel they are already on a reduced cutting schedule and will find the Executive Member’s comments insensitive, ill-judged and totally out of step with the mood of the Borough.

“Thirteen years after the LibDem and Conservative coalition ushered in the disaster of austerity we are seeing that destructive policy continue to wreck its course through local communities.”

He added: “Other Councils have gone bankrupt because of disastrous property investments, not because of too much grass cutting or too many litter bins.”

Bracknell News has contacted the Conservative group’s finance spokesperson for comment.